with regard to Mary's fucceffion, than his ani- CHA P. mofity against Elizabeth began more openly to xxxix. appear; and the interefts of Spain and those of England were found oppofite in every negociation and transaction. THE two great monarchies of the continent, France and Spain, being poffeffed of nearly equal force, were naturally antagonists; and England, · from its power and fituation, was entitled to fupport its own dignity, as well as tranquillity, by holding the balance between them. Whatever incident, therefore, tended too much to deprefs one of these rival powers, as it left the other without controul, might be deemed contrary to the interests of England: Yet fo much were these great maxims of policy over-ruled, during that age, by the difputes of theology, that Philip found an advantage in fupporting the established government and religion of France; and Elizabeth in protecting faction and innovation. 1562. of France. The queen-regent of France, when reinftated Civil wars in authority by the death of her fon, Francis had formed a plan of adminiftration more fubtile than judicious; and balancing the catholics with the hugonots, the duke of Guise with the prince of Condé, fhe endeavoured to render herself neceffary to both, and to establish her own dominion on their conftrained obedience *. But the equal counterpoife of power, which, among foreign nations, is the fource of tranquillity, Davila, lib. ii. XXXIX. 1562. CHAP. proves always the ground of quarrel between domestic factions; and if the animofity of religion concur with the frequent occafions, which prefent themselves, of mutual injury, it is impoffible, during any time, to preferve a firm concord in fo delicate a fituation. The conftable, Montmorency, moved by zeal for the ancient faith, joined himself to the duke of Guife: The king of Navarre, from his inconftant temper, and his jealousy of the fuperior genius of his brother, embraced the fame party: And Catherine, finding herself depressed by this combination, had recourse to Condé and the hugonots, who gladly embraced the opportunity of fortifying themfelves by her countenance and protection'. An edict had been published, granting a toleration to the protestants; but the interested violence of the duke of Guife, covered with the pretence of religious zeal, broke through this agreement; and the two parties, after the fallacious tranquillity of a moment, renewed their mutual infults and injuries. Condé, Coligni, Andelot, affembled their friends, and flew to arms: Guife and Montmorency got poffeffion of the king's perfon, and constrained the queen-regent to embrace their party Fourteen armies were levied and put in motion in different parts of France: each province, each city, each family, was agitated with inteftine rage and animofity. The father was divided against the fon; brother against brother; 1562. and women themselves, facrificing their humanity CHA P. as well as their timidity to the religious fury, xxxix. diftinguished themselves by acts of ferocity and valor'. Wherever the hugonots prevailed, the images were broken, the altars pillaged, the churches demolished, the monafteries confumed with fire Where fuccefs attended the catholics, they burned the bibles, re-baptized the infants, conftrained married perfons to pafs anew through the nuptial ceremony: And plunder, defolation, and bloodfhed and bloodshed attended equally the triumph of both parties. The parliament of Paris itself, the feat of law and justice, instead of employing its authority to compose these fatalquarrels, published an edict, by which it put the fword into the hands of the enraged multitude, and empowered the catholics every where to maffacre the hugonots: And it was during this period, when men began to be fomewhat enlightened, and in this nation, renowned for polished manners, that the theological rage, which had long been boiling in men's veins, feems to have attained its last stage of virulence and ferocity. PHILIP, jealous of the progrefs which the hugonots made in France, and dreading that the contagion' would fpread into the Low Country provinces, had formed a fecret alliance with the princes of Guife, and had entered into a mutual concert for the protection of the ancient faith, and the fuppreffion of herefy. He now fent fix 8 Father Paul, lib. vii. Ibid. Haynes, p. 391. X XXXIX. 1562. CHA P. thousand men, with fome fupply of money, to reinforce the catholic party; and the prince of Condé, finding himself unequal to fo great a combination, countenanced by the royal authority, was obliged to dispatch the Vidame of Chartres and Brieguemaut to London, in order to crave the affiftance and protection of Elizabeth. Moft of the province of Normandy was poffeffed by the hugonots And Condé offered to put Havre Grace put in de Grace into the hands of the English; on conpoffeffion of dition, that, together with three thousand men the English. for the garrifon of that place, the queen fhould likewife fend over three thousand to defend Dieppe and Rouen, and should furnish the prince with a fupply of a hundred thoufand crowns'. Havre de ELIZABETH, befides the general and effential interest of supporting the proteftants, and oppofing the rapid progrefs of her enemy the duke of Guife, had other motives which engaged her to accept of this propofal. When fhe concluded 0th Sept. the peace at Cateau-Cambrefis, fhe had good reafon to foresee, that France never would voluntarily fulfil the article, which regarded the reftitution of Calais; and many fubfequent incidents had tended to confirm this fufpicion. Confiderable fums of money had been expended on the fortifications; long leases had been granted of the lands; and many inhabitants had been encouraged to build and fettle there, by affurances that Calais fhould never be restored to the English ". The Ibid. p. 54. 257. Forbes, vol. ii. p. 48. 10 queen, therefore, wifely concluded, that, could CHA P. The get poffeffion of Havre, a place, which com- xxxIx. manded the mouth of the Seine, and was of 1562. greater importance than Calais, fhe fhould easily conftrain the French to execute the treaty, and fhould have the glory of restoring to the crown that ancient poffeffion, fo much the favorite of the nation. No measure could be more generally odious in France, than the conclufion of this treaty with Elizabeth. Men were naturally led to compare the conduct of Guife, who had finally expelled the English, and had debarred thefe dangerous and deftructive enemies from all accefs into France, with the treafonable politics of Condé, who had again granted them an entrance into the heart of the kingdom. The prince had the more reafon to repent of this measure, as he reaped not from it all the advantage which he expected. Three thousand English immediately took poffeffion of Havre and Dieppe, under the command of Sir Edward Poinings; but the latter place was found fo little capable of defence, that it was immediately abandoned ". The fiege of Rouen was already formed by the catholics, under the command of the king of Navarre and Montmorency; and it was with difficulty that Poinings could throw a fmall reinforcement into the place. Though thefe English troops behaved with gallantry, and though the king of Navarre |